So, When Will Blu-ray Die?

Regular readers may have noticed that we were never smitten with the idea of high definition dvd discs like HD DVD and Bluray. After three years of grumbling, we’re still wondering why, in the era of ‘the cloud’ and of micro read-write drives there’s really a need to evolve the DVD. Why not let it run its course until it’s no longer necessary – like the CD or the tape before that?

The news is, that after a ridiculous amount of money spent on developing and marketing these two formats, HD DVD has died. After three years, Toshiba have said that by March it will stop making players for its HD DVD format. USA Today reports:

Even without these problems, retailers might find it hard to persuade consumers to buy Blu-ray. Toshiba said it might try to offer high-def videos without discs, for example on flash memory and wireless technologies.

Meanwhile, “A lot of consumers are still satisfied with their current DVD player and plan to continue using it until it breaks,” says Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for The NPD Group. That’s one reason Blu-ray backers and retailers are weighing deals to help HD DVD buyers switch.

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